Variety 1916
May 25, 7:00pm
On May 25, Ottawa StoryTellers is presenting a Chautauqua-style tent show at the Billings Museum National Historic Site (2100 Cabot Street).
This year’s show, set in 1916 has a wide variety of topics. It is the middle of the First World War, so saboteurs are seen everywhere, and on a frigid February night, the parliament Buildings mysteriously burn to the ground ; it is a time of travelling shows featuring strong men; it is a time of vaudeville; it is a time when many people distrust doctors and seek help from quack medicine cures; it is a time of recitations and wonderful songs; it is a time when women are fighting for their rights; it is also a time of bad, very bad, poetry. And all these and more are featured in Variety 1916.
Our host is Charles Billings, the owner of a grand house, Park Hill, built by his grandfather, Braddish Billings, the first settler in the region, and the setting of Variety 1916 is a tent on the grounds of his large and fine estate.
Tickets are $15, available from www. ottawa.ca/museums or at the door, or you can reserve your ticket by calling 613-247-4830.
About Chautauqua
Chautauqua was a travelling institution, begun on Chautauqua Lake, New York, and with Canadian roots in Methodist Temperance rallies, which carried education, inspiration and entertainment across North America. John M. Erickson brought the idea from the US to Alberta...; he established Dominion Chautauquas (Canadian Chautauquas after 1926) with headquarters in Calgary, and with the help of his wife, Nola, operated successfully until 1935. They spread a network of tent circuits across Canada from the Pacific into Ontario, edging into Québec, and pushing into the northern fringes of settlement across the prairies.
Chautauqua programs consisted of 4 to 6 days of musical numbers, lectures, dramatic productions and magic or puppet shows. A different performance was presented daily, and performers then moved on to the next town on the circuit. Keeping workers, artists, tents and equipment moving smoothly along the circuits required careful organization and many employees. A total of some 50 young men handled the tents and approximately 80 young women helped organize local committees and directed the operation. These people, mainly university students, developed initiative, self-confidence and skills that gave them an excellent foundation for success in life.
(The Canadian Encyclopedia)
Driving directions: Take Riverside to Pleasant Park. There are lights at the intersection for Riverside and Pleasant Park. Turn onto Pleasant Park and follow it to Cabot Street (about 100 metres from Riverside). Turn onto Cabot Street and drive to the end directly into the museum’s parking lot. There is plenty of free parking as well as room for buses to park at the museum.
Public transportation: The museum is a 5 minute walk from the Pleasant Park transit station or a 13 minute walk from Billings Bridge station. Consult OC Transpo for route information and times.
For more information,
contact
Caitlyn Paxson, Managing Artistic Director
613-322-8336
or
Coordinator of Publicity and Marketing, Ottawa StoryTellers
613-731-1047